Category Archives: E.coli

Research – Insect antibiotic provides new way to eliminate bacteria

Posted on November 22, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

An antibiotic called thanatin attacks the way the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is built. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now found out that this happens through a previously unknown mechanism. Thanatin, produced naturally by the spined soldier bug, can therefore be used to develop new classes of antibiotics.

The global emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria is posing a growing threat to human health and medicine. “Despite huge efforts from academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies, it has proven very difficult to identify effective new bacterial targets for antibiotic discovery,” says John A. Robinson from the Department of Chemistry at UZH. “One of the major challenges is identifying new mechanisms of antibiotic action against dangerous Gram-negative bacteria.” This group of bacteria includes a number of dangerous pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes life-threatening lung infections, and pathogenic Escherichia coli strains.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Gram Negative Bacteria, Microbiology, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, thanatin, Uncategorized

Research – An assessment of the microbial quality of “döner kebab” during cold storage: Effects of different packaging methods and microwave heating before consumption

Posted on November 21, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

Wiley Online Library

Abstract

In the current study, döner kebabs packed with different packaging methods (air packaging [AP], modified atmosphere packaging [MAP], vacuum packaging [VP] and sous vide packaging [SVP]) were evaluated for their microbial quality during storage at 4 °C. In addition, the effect of microwave heating before consumption on the microbial quality of döner kebabs was also investigated. Total mesophilic aerobic bacteria and total psycrophilic aerobic bacteria counts of döner kebabs increased during storage and reached to 6.48, 8.27, 8.15, 3.96 and 5.58, 8.53, 8.63, <1.00 log cfu/g in AP (9th day), MAP (29th day), VP (29th day) and SVP (99th day) groups, respectively. Although coliform, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus counts of döner kebabs were below 3 MPN/g, 3 MPN/g, 2 log cfu/g in all groups, respectively; no Clostridium perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes was detected in any of the groups during storage. Microwave heating was found effective on reducing the microbial load of döner kebabs. It was concluded that without any additional preservation techniques, the SVP prolonged the shelf life of döner kebabs more than 20, 6, and 5 times comparing to AP, MAP, and VP groups, respectively.

Practical applications

Döner kebab is a meat product which is very convenient for microbial growth due to its nutritional and chemical composition. Döner kebab that cannot be sold immediately after production causes high economic losses since the shelf life of döner kebab is very short after cooking. Therefore, it requires additional preservation techniques in order to prevent the economic losses after cooking and to have the opportunity of secure serving of it where döner kebab oven is not present. In the current study, sous vide (SV) applied döner kebabs protected their microbiological quality at least 100 days at 4 °C without any additional preservation techniques and application of SV after cooking provided döner kebabs with a longer shelf life comparing to air packaging, modified atmosphere packaging and vacuum packaging methods. Besides, microwave heating was applied to döner kebabs in order to simulate the conditions of consumption. Microwave heating before consumption significantly reduced the microbial load of döner kebabs.

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Posted in Clostridium perfringens, E.coli, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Uncategorized

USA – CDC Alert: Do Not Eat Romaine Lettuce, Throw It Out

Posted on November 21, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

CDC

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, Canada, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) infections linked to romaine lettuce.

CDC is advising that U.S. consumers not eat any romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants not serve or sell any, until we learn more about the outbreak. This investigation is ongoing and the advice will be updated as more information is available.

Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick.
- This advice includes all types or uses of romaine lettuce, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags and boxes of precut lettuce and salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad.
- If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine or whether a salad mix contains romaine, do not eat it and throw it away.
- Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where romaine was stored. Follow these five steps(https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/clean-refrigerator-steps.html) to clean your refrigerator.
Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing romaine.
Take action(https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/foodsafety-2015/index.html) if you have symptoms of an E. coli infection(https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ecoli-symptoms.html):
- Talk to your healthcare provider.
- Write down what you ate in the week before you started to get sick.
- Report your illness to the health department.
- Assist public health investigators by answering questions about your illness.

Advice to Clinicians

Antibiotics are not recommended(https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/clinicians.html) for patients with E. coli O157 infections. Antibiotics are also not recommended for patients in whom E.coli O157 infection is suspected, until diagnostic testing rules out this infection.
Some studies have shown that administering antibiotics to patients with E. coli O157 infections might increase their risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (a type of kidney failure), and the benefit of antibiotic treatment has not been clearly demonstrated.

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Posted in CDC, E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food death, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

UK- Scotland – Levels of antimicrobial resistant E. coli in UK retail meat remain low

Posted on November 20, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

HPS

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have published the Year Three results of an EU survey commissioned to assess the frequency of certain types of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) E. coli in raw UK retail pork and beef.

Year Three of the survey was carried out between January and December 2017 during which 314 beef and 310 pork samples were purchased from retail premises in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and tested for specific types of AMR E. coli.

The survey generates baseline data on certain types of AMR E. coli found in retail meat in the UK, which informs assessment of the risks found, and steps needed be taken, in order to reduce exposure to AMR.

Overall, the results showed that less than 1% of the samples were positive for ESBL or AmpC E. coli, which are specific types of AMR. These results are similar to what was found in Year One of the survey. However, one beef sample was found to be contaminated with an E. coli containing the mcr-1 gene, which confers resistance to the antibiotic colistin.

[Source: FSA, 13 November 2018. https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/levels-of-amr-e-coli-in-uk-retail-…]

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Colistin Resistant, E.coli, ESBL, MCR-1, Uncategorized

USA – Majestic Meat Company Recalls Ground Beef Products due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination

Posted on November 19, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

FSIS USDA

Image CDC

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2018 – Majestic Meat Company, a Salt Lake City, Utah establishment, is recalling approximately 532 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The bulk ground beef, ground beef patties, and meatballs were produced on November 8, 2018. The product list can be found here: [View Labels (PDF only)]

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 19915” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to restaurants in the state of Utah.

The problem was discovered on November 15, 2018 when FSIS identified that product associated with a sample that confirmed positive for E. coli O157:H7 had been shipped. The establishment held 2 of the 3 boxes of source material associated with the sampled product, however, the third box of source material was further processed and shipped. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

USA – Swift Beef Company Recalls Ground Beef Products due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination

Posted on November 19, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

FSIS USDA USDA

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2018 – Swift Beef Co., a Hyrum, Utah establishment, is recalling approximately 99,260 pounds of raw non-intact ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The bulk ground beef was produced on Oct. 24, 2018. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF only)]

2,000 lb. – bulk pallets of Swift Ground Beef 81/19 (81% lean) Fine Grind Combo bearing product code 42982.
8-10 lb. – plastic wrapped chubs of “blue ribbon BEEF” Ground Beef 81/19 (81% lean) Coarse Grind bearing product code 42410.
8-10 lb. – plastic wrapped chubs of “blue ribbon BEEF” Ground Beef 93/07 (93% lean) Coarse Grind bearing product code 42413.
8-10 lb. – plastic wrapped chubs of “blue ribbon BEEF” Ground Beef 85/15 (85% lean) Coarse Grind bearing product code 42415.
8-10 lb. – plastic wrapped chubs of “blue ribbon BEEF” Ground Beef 73/27 (73% lean) Coarse Grind bearing product code 42510.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 628” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail distributors for further processing and food service distributors for institutional use in locations in California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

The problem was discovered on November 15, 2018, when FSIS visited Swift Beef Company in response to a FSIS ground beef sample that was collected at a further processing establishment and was confirmed positive for E. coli O157:H7. FSIS confirmed that Swift Beef Company was the sole source supplier for the ground beef products. That affected product was recalled on Nov. 16 and information on that recall can be found here. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

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RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – O26 – Raw Goats Milk Cheese

Posted on November 16, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF -enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (026H11 eae+, stx-) in raw goat’s milk cheese from France in France

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, eae, RASFF, STEC, STX 1, STX 2, Uncategorized

Canada – Unpasteurized cheese made on Vancouver Island recalled for E. coli concerns

Posted on November 16, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

CTV News ecoli

A voluntary recall has been issued for a Vancouver Island-produced cheese linked to an E. coli outbreak that infected five people.Little Qualicum Cheeseworks’ Qualicum Spice cheese should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.

The E. coli outbreak occurred between August and October and was traced back to the unpasteurized product, which has a best before date up to and including April 24, 2019.

An investigation is ongoing “to determine the source and extent of contamination,” the BCCDC said.

Qualicum Spice cheese is sold throughout B.C. in grocery stores, farmers’ markets, wineries, restaurants and Little Qualicum Cheeseworks’ farmgate store.

While the company produces other types of cheeses, only Qualicum Spice is affected and others do not need to be discarded, according to the BCCDC.

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Posted in E.coli, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized

Research – Levels of AMR E. coli in UK retail meat remain low

Posted on November 14, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

FSA

Levels of AMR E. coli in UK retail meat remain low

News

We have published the Year 3 results of an EU survey commissioned to assess the frequency of certain types of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) E. coli in raw UK retail pork and beef. Results show that these AMR levels remain consistently low, similar to those from the previous survey on beef and pork in Year 1.

Year 3 of the survey was carried out between January and December 2017 during which 314 beef and 310 pork samples were purchased from retail premises in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and tested for specific types of AMR E. coli.

The survey generates baseline data on certain types of AMR E. coli found on retail meat in the UK, which will subsequently inform our assessment of the risks and our next steps to reducing exposure to AMR.

Overall, results showed that less than 1% of the samples were positive for ESBL or AmpC E. coli, which are specific types of AMR. These results are similar to what was found in Year 1 of the survey. However, one beef sample was found to be contaminated with an E. coli containing the mcr-1 gene which confers resistance to the antibiotic colistin.

FSA’s Head of Microbiological Risk Assessment, Paul Cook said:

‘This is thought to be the first discovery of an mcr-1 positive E. coli from retail beef in the UK. Although the meat came from outside the UK, further testing indicated no contamination with this E.coli on other samples and at this stage we have not been able to pinpoint the source of the contamination. However, a risk assessment has been carried out and we want to make it clear that the risk to public health is very low.

‘Tackling AMR is a significant priority for the FSA and across UK Government. This survey allows us to monitor certain AMR E. coli trends over time, but also compares the UK situation with that of other EU Member States. In the recently published 2015 EU report, the UK compared favourably to results from other European countries.’

These findings have been collected on behalf of the European Commission as part of an EU-wide seven-year surveillance study. The data is fed back to the European Commission on a yearly basis and reported in the EU Summary Report on Antimicrobial Resistance.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobials, E.coli, Uncategorized

Research -Microbiological Testing Program for E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli: Individual Positive Results for Raw Ground Beef (RGB) and RGB Components

Posted on November 14, 2018 by KSW | Leave a comment

USDA

Table 1. Raw Ground Beef Products (RGB) Analyzed for E. coli O157:H7, Current Calendar Year

Sample Source¹	Collection Date	Where Collected	Product Status	Positives this Year	Samples Analyzed this Year	Total Positives²	Total Samples Analyzed²
Federal RGB Verification, Beef	Oct 15, 2018	MN	Held	4	9,541	540	238,301
Federal RGB Verification, Beef	Oct 9, 2018	NC	Held	3	9,297	539	238,057
Federal RGB Verification, Beef	Mar 26, 2018	OR	Held	2	3,085	538	231,845
Federal RGB Verification, Beef	Feb 8, 2018	CA	Held	1	1,704	537	230,464

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Microbiological Testing Program for E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli: Individual Positive Results for Raw Ground Beef (RGB) and RGB Components

View by Year:
2018 Positive Results
2017 Positive Results
2016 Positive Results
2015 Positive Results
2014 Positive Results
2013 Positive Results
2012 Positive Results
2011 Positive Results
2010 Positive Results
2009 Positive Results
2008 Positive Results
2007 Positive Results
2006 Positive Results
2005 Positive Results
2004 Positive Results
2003 Positive Results
2002 Positive Results
2001 Positive Results

Table 1: Raw Ground Beef (RGB)
Table 2: Raw Ground Beef Components (RGBC)
Related Information: All E. coli Tables

The table below includes all positive results as of November 4, 2018.

**Table 1. Raw Ground Beef Products (RGB) Analyzed for E. coli O157:H7, Current Calendar Year**

Sample Source¹	Collection Date	Where Collected	Product Status	Positives this Year	Samples Analyzed this Year	Total Positives²	Total Samples Analyzed²
Federal RGB Verification, Beef	Oct 15, 2018	MN	Held	4	9,541	540	238,301
Federal RGB Verification, Beef	Oct 9, 2018	NC	Held	3	9,297	539	238,057
Federal RGB Verification, Beef	Mar 26, 2018	OR	Held	2	3,085	538	231,845
Federal RGB Verification, Beef	Feb 8, 2018	CA	Held	1	1,704	537	230,464

¹Sample Sources may include these types of establishments and samples:

Federal (verification; follow-up)
Retail (verification; follow-up)
State (verification; follow-up)
Import (verification; follow-up). For Import samples, the column “Where Collected” is defined as Country of Origin. <!–
Source may also refer to the type of product (beef, veal, or mixed), as listed on the product label.

–>

²Totals: “Total Positives” and “Total Samples Analyzed” are the totals since FSIS began its testing program to detect E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef on October 17, 1994.

The table below includes all positive results as of November 4, 2018.

Table 2. Raw Ground Beef Components (RGBC) Analyzed for Target STECs, Current Calendar Year³

Sample Source⁴	Collection Date	Target STECs	Where Collected	Product Status	Posi- tives this Year	Samples Analyzed this Year⁵	Total Posi- tives	Total Samples Analyzed⁶
Trim Verification, Beef	Oct 18, 2018	O111	PA	Held	19	6,594	415	59,239
Trim Verification, Beef	Oct 9, 2018	O157:H7	SD	Held	18	6,262	414	58,907
Trim Verification, Beef	Sep 5, 2018	O157:H7	PA	Held	17	5,641	413	58,286
Trim Verification, Beef	Aug 14, 2018	O103	PA	Held	16	5,018	412	57,663
Trim Verification, Beef	Jun 6, 2018	O157:H7	MO	Held	15	3,583	411	56,228
Trim Verification, Veal	Jun 6, 2018	O26	PA	Held	14	3,428	410	56,073
Follow-up to RGBC Positive, Beef	May 30, 2018	O103	PA	Held	13	3,266	409	55,911
Follow-up to RGBC Positive, Beef	May 29, 2018	O103	PA	Held	12	3,266	408	55,911
Trim Verification, Beef	May 21, 2018	O157:H7	TX	Held	11	3,147	407	55,792
Trim Verification, Beef	May 16, 2018	O103	PA	Held	10	2,968	406	55,613
Trim Verification, Beef	May 15, 2018	O103	NY	Held	9	2,968	405	55,613
Trim Verification, Beef	May 9, 2018	O103	PA	Held	8	2,968	404	55,613
Other RGBC Verification	May 9, 2018	O157:H7	NE	Held	7	2,968	403	55,613
Trim Verification, Beef	Mar 19, 2018	O157:H7	NM	Held	6	1,814	402	54,455
Trim Verification, Beef	Mar 1, 2018	O121	ID	Held	5	1,507	401	54,148
Trim Verification, Veal	Feb 27, 2018	O103	WA	Held	4	1,347	400	53,988
Follow-up to RGBC Positive, Beef	Jan 27, 2018	O45	WI	Held	3	583	400	53,225
Other RGBC Verification	Jan 4, 2018	O157:H7	SD	Held	2	107	399	52,749
Trim Verification, Beef	Dec 28, 2017	O157:H7	WI	Held	1	107	398	52,749

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli 045, E.coli O103, E.coli O104, E.coli O111, E.coli O121, E.coli O128, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, E.coli O26, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, STEC, Uncategorized, VTEC

Category Archives: E.coli

Research – Insect antibiotic provides new way to eliminate bacteria